Food Allergy

Importance of RED Allergy BAND and ALLERGY Card

What are allergic reactions and how can the RED nutritionBAND help?

The RED nutritionBAND helps to increase awareness around your FOOD ALLERGY. It highlights that people need to take the highest level of precaution around you as you may need urgent medical care.

To understand allergic reactions can be confusing to many.  Skin Prick tests and atopy patch tests can sometimes help identify food allergens, but are not always reliable.

To help simplify:

Food allergies can be IgE mediated, the most common type, triggered by the immune system producing an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Symptoms occur a few seconds or minutes after eating. There's a greater risk of anaphylaxis with this type of allergy.

Then there are Cell mediated, non-IgE-mediated food allergies. These allergic reactions aren't caused by immunoglobulin E, but by other cells in the immune system. This type of allergy is often difficult to diagnose as symptoms take up to a day to develop

Some people may also experience symptoms from both types, combined IgE and cell meditated food allergies, which is delayed onset and chronic reactions.

There are also non-IgE-Mediated Food Allergic Disorders, which include a wider spectrum of disorders such as Coeliac disease.

Symptoms of allergic reactions can include:

  • Anaphylaxis
  • A tingling or itching sensation in the mouth
  • Hives, itching and eczema
  • Swelling of the mouth area such as lips and tongue, face, throat or other areas of the body
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Wheezing, nasal congestion and shortness of breath
  • Feeling dizzy and lightheaded and fainting
  • Feeling sick or vomiting
  • Pain in the abdominal area and / or diarrohoea
  • Allergic conjunctivitis which are hay fever-like symptoms, such as sneezing or itchy eyes 

8 most common food allergens:

  • Peanuts
  • Cow's Milk
  • Eggs
  • Shellfish
  • Tree Nuts
  • Wheat
  • Soy
  • Fish

Statistics on allergic reactions

Rates of food allergy and intolerance vary across the world. In the UK, an estimated 2 million people are living with a diagnosed food allergy, and 600,000 (1 in 100) with coeliac disease. These figures exclude those with food intolerances such as lactose intolerance. 

There is no cure for food allergy or intolerance so the only way to manage the condition is to observe a strict avoidance diet. This puts a strain on the food allergic person, their family and friends. To avoid being the ‘awkward one’ who limits food choices or where to eat, the food allergic person often feels compelled to risk allergic reactions to fit in; this is especially true for young people. 
Food Standards Agency, Board Meeting – 15 March 2017 
FOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE PROGRAMME,
Report by Steve Wearne, Director of Policy 

ALLERGY Card

ALLERGY Card
The eco-friendly nutritionBAND® ALLERGY Card makes the conversation about your dietary requirements simple. It can be presented when dining out (to someone taking orders and chefs), travelling (trains, airlines, cruises, hotels and foreign countries) and medical centres, enabling everyone to comprehend your nutritional needs with ease. 

There may be several people in a family with varying conditions; the nutritionBAND® ALLERGY Card makes dining out a wholesome experience for everyone.

The recyclable plastic card is the size of a credit card. It is long-lasting and convenient to carry.
Below are some examples of what you can request on the back of your nutritionBAND® ALLERGY Card. Simply send us the text you require on the ALLERGY card so this can be personalised to your nutritional needs. On the back you simply tick what applies to you (a permanent marker like a Sharpie), to highlight your dietary requirements, for example, if you are Vegan, Gluten Free and have an ALLERGY, you would tick the green orange and red circles.

You can also custom order your card by adding your own text in English, or any other language you require; just send us the exact text as you would like printed and we will have an ALLERGY Card personalised for you.

An example of a completed nutritionBAND® ALLERGY Card

I have life-threatening ALLERGIES and I may (need urgent medical care / have an ANAPHYLAXIS) reaction if I consume the following: (insert list of foods). 

I have a life-threatening ALLERGY and I may (need urgent medical care / have an ANAPHYLAXIS) reaction if I consume the following: (insert food). 

NUTS: I have a life-threatening allergy to nuts, nut oils, nut butters and nut products such as almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts pistachios & walnuts.

PEANUTS: I have a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter and peanut products.

LUPIN: I have a life-threatening allergy to lupini beans, lupin flour and lupin food and drink products.

SESAME: I have a life-threatening allergy to sesame seeds, sesame oil, sesame paste, and sesame flour and sesame products.

SUNFLOWER: I have a life-threatening allergy to sunflower seeds, sunflower oil and sunflower products.

SEEDS: I have a life-threatening allergy to seeds such as such flax seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, seed oils & seed products.

MUSTARD: I have a life-threatening allergy to mustard seeds, mustard oil and mustard seed products such as mustard paste & sauces.

COCONUT: I have a life-threatening allergy to coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil and coconut products.

COCOA: I have a life-threatening allergy to cocoa and cocoa products such as milk chocolate, dark chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa powder and any drinks & foods using cocoa in any form.

SHELLFISH: I have a life-threatening allergy shellfish and shellfish products such as crab, clams, crawfish, lobster, mussels, oysters, prawns, scallops & shrimp.

FISH: I have a life-threatening allergy to fish, fish oil, fish sauce, fish powder, fish soup and fish products.

MILK: I have a life-threatening allergy to milk and milk products such as butter, cheese, cream & yoghurt.

COW’S MILK: I have a life-threatening allergy to cow’s milk and cow’s milk products such as butter, cheese, cream & yoghurt.

LACTOSE INTOLERANT: I am allergic to milk and all milk products containing lactose, casein & whey such as butter, cheese, cream & yoghurt.

EGGS: I have a life-threatening allergy to eggs and egg products containing egg yolk, eggs white & dry egg mix powder.

SOY: I have a life-threatening allergy to soy and soy products such as soybean, soybean oil, soy sauce, soy flour, soy milk & soy protein.

WHEAT: I have a life-threatening allergy to wheat, wheat flour and wheat products.

GLUTEN FREE: I am allergic to barley, oats, rye, wheat and flours made from them, malt, soy sauce & gluten including food products such as sauces, gravies, breads, cereals.


MSG: I have a life-threatening allergy to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

SULFITES: I have a life-threatening allergy sulfites and sulfite-containing products.

ALCOHOL: I have a life-threatening allergy to alcohol in all drink and food.

ALLIUM FAMILY: I am allergic to chives, garlic, leeks, onions, scallions, shallots.

MUSHROOMS: I have a life-threatening allergy to mushrooms, mushroom protein & mushroom products.

PEPPERS: I have a life-threatening allergy to peppers such as green, red and yellow bell peppers, banana peppers, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, hot peppers, paprika, chili powder, curry powder, mixed spices containing peppers & pepper products such as Tabasco.

EGGPLANT/AUBERGINE: I have a life-threatening allergy to eggplant and all foods containing eggplant.

TOMATO: I have a life-threatening allergy to tomatoes and all tomato products such as drinks, juices & sauces.

CARROTS: I have a life-threatening allergy to carrots and carrot products such as breads, cakes, cream, desserts, dips, gravy, juice, pastes, reductions, salads, sauces, soups, stews & in stir fry vegetables.

CELERY: I have a life-threatening allergy to celery and celery products such as dips, gravy, juice, pastes, reductions, sauces, soups, stews & in salads.

FRUIT WITH LARGE SEEDS: I have a life-threatening allergy to fruit with pits, large seeds or stones such as apples, avocados, cherries, peaches, pears plums, mango and nectarines.

APPLE: I have a life-threatening allergy to apples and all apple products such as drinks, jams, juices & sauces.

AVOCADO: I have a life-threatening allergy to avocados and all avocado products such as avocado oil, desserts, drinks, juices, ice creams & sauces

BANANA: I have a life-threatening allergy to bananas and all foods containing banana such as breads, cakes, desserts, drinks & sauces.

BERRIES: I have a life-threatening allergy to berries and berry products such as breads, cakes, desserts, drinks, jams, juices & sauces.

BLACKCURRANT: I have a life-threatening allergy to blackcurrant and blackcurrant products such as  cakes, desserts, drinks, jams, juices, sauces & syrups.

FIG: I have a life-threatening allergy to figs and fig products such as bread, cakes, desserts, jams & sauces. 

KIWI: I have a life-threatening allergy to kiwi and kiwi products such as bread, cakes, desserts, drinks, jams, juices & sauces. 

PINEAPPLE: I have a life-threatening allergy to pineapples and pineapple products such as bread, cakes, desserts, drinks, jams, juices, sauces & syrups.

STRAWBERRY: I have a life-threatening allergy to strawberries and strawberry products such as bread, cakes, compotes, desserts, drinks, jams, juices, sauces & syrups.

NOTE: Avoid cross contamination by cleaning all utensils, cutting boards, pans & cooking surfaces. 

Links to Articles

Facebook: Home food businesses concern FSA watchdog

24 February 2020

One in five food samples contains a hidden allergen

24 January 2020

Shante Turay-Thomas Story

13 January 2020

Why the world is becoming more allergic to food

13 September 2019

Allergies: Teenagers needing hospital treatment up 65% in five years

1 November 2019

Owen Carey’s story

13 September 2019

The Epidemiology

18 September 2018
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